Memento Mori
by Redirectedx
Summary: When you find yourself at the end of your life, you're often reminded of the things you've accomplished. However, for Robin, the things you've lost are just as important. Spoilers for Fire Emblem: Awakening ahead, read at your own risk. Rated T for character death. (COMPLETE)
1. When Your World Ends

**A/N - Hi everybody! With school really starting to hit me full force, It's been harder and harder to find writing inspiration. So, in the hopes that this will help soothe my writer's block, here's a quick mini-series for you! I'll be using this as a writing exercise to get a hold of my writing style a little better and to get some more content up on the site. Anyways, obvious spoilers for the end of Fire Emblem: Awakening are ahead, so proceed at your own risk. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

It was a pain unlike anything he had ever felt before.

As the hilt of his blade pressed against Grima's stomach, an immediate and searing pain pierced his own.

"You... you..." Grima stuttered, a blackish purple liquid beginning to drip out of his twisted mouth as he feebly gazed down at Robin's hand, knuckles white around his killing instrument.

"I could never let you hurt them. I could never let myself hurt them, " Robin seethed through clenched teeth, staring his counterpart dead in the eyes.

"The world... is is safe without _us. _If I must go, so be it- but you're coming with me."

With his free hand, Robin grasped Grima's shoulder, holding him in place. In a quick and violent motion, he twisted his blade further against Grima's stomach, doing as much damage he possibly could to ensure his death, disregarding the fire inside of his own stomach as he did so.

"_Robin!_ _No! Stop!_"

A mixture of sadness and happiness overtook him as he closed his eyes.

Memories of his friends flooded his head. Not only had they let him in as one of their own, he felt so much more about them. They were family. They were all he had.

_They will be safe_, he reminded himself. _They will be safe. _

Opening his eyes, he turned to the source of the noise. Chrom, Lucina, Lissa, and the others were in an all out sprint towards him. As twisted as it was to them in the moment, he couldn't help but smile.

His muscles began to relax, his grip on his blade loosening. All noise seemed muffled as he focused on the searing pain in his abdomen.

Just before they reached him, his eyes rolled into his head and he crumpled to the ground.

* * *

_Peaceful_.

He felt peaceful. He couldn't quite pin it, but he hadn't felt anything quite like it; he felt the absence of anything.

He looked down at his arms, comforted that around his wrists were the cuffs of his signature coat. Satisfied, he surveyed the scene in front of him, an ocean of white and grey, somehow so empty, yet so vivid.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" he said aloud absentmindedly.

"I'm afraid it's a slight bit more complicated than that," a woman's voice answered from behind him.

Robin felt his heart ache in his chest. He didn't need to turn around to know who the voice belonged to.

"I..." he began, fighting back tears. Slowly, he turned around to face the figure, who was smiling softly back at him.

"I never thought I would see you again, Emmeryn. I... I always wanted.. I'm so sorry."

Emmeryn reached her hand towards his face, brushing her thumb against his cheekbone to wipe away a stray tear.

"You need not apologize, Robin," She said, softly pulling him in for a tight embrace. "Besides, we mustn't waste our time on such matters. Your time in this place is limited."

Sniffling, he raised an eyebrow against her shoulder. "How do you mean?"

"My sister is working to rouse you as we speak. You haven't disappeared from this world quite yet. Naga willing, we were allowed to show ourselves to you, one last time."

Robin smiled at her as he reluctantly pulled away from her warm touch, his tears still flowing.

"Wait. We?"

As if on cue, two more figures appeared in front of him. The sight alone nearly brought him to his knees.

Robin looked the first figure, a red-armored woman, up and down. A sorrowful twinge filled his eyes.

"Sully? Is it really you?"

"You know it! I always knew you were one tough bastard. The Shepherds were always in good hands with you around," Sully said with a mischievous grin on her face.

"But... I let you down. I let you die."

Sully rolled her eyes. "If I wasn't already dead, I would whoop your ass right now. You know it wasn't your fault."

Robin chuckled lightly. _Yep, that's Sully alright_, he thought to himself.

He looked to the next figure. He was a taller man, topped with scruffy, dark brown hair and dressed in an elaborate swordsman's outfit.

Robin smiled, wiping his eyes. "Lon'qu."

Lon'qu nodded with a slight bow, giving him as much of a smile as could come from a man of his demeanor. "Robin."

Without skipping a beat, the two met in a firm embrace, Robin clapping his hand against Lon'qu's back. Pulling away after a few moments, Robin met his eyes with a playful grin. "You really gave it your all, buddy. Not unlike you to be fighting right until the very end. I'd hate to see how the other guys ended up."

"Of course. It was my duty to serve Lady Lissa. I would gladly give her my life a hundred times over."

Rolling his eyes, Robin put a hand on the man's shoulder. "She really got to you, didn't she?"

He simply blushed slightly, averting his gaze above Robin's shoulder. "Think none of it."

Giving the man one last pat on the shoulder, he looked back to his three fallen friends before addressing them all.

"I have... so much I wish to say to you. I wish I could have done more to help you; done more while I still had you."

Emmeryn simply smiled at him. That smile never ceased to calm his nerves.

"You've done everything, Robin. You have saved the world from an endless nightmare. Grima is dead- the world will forever be released from the Fell Dragon's foul clutches. You did that. You, Chrom, and the others have secured a future for countless generations to come. Naga, I can't express how proud I am of you two."

Returning her smile, he took her in for another embrace. "You always know exactly what to say, you know that?"

"Of course. It was my job, after all."

Laughing into her shoulder, Robin was reminded of simpler times when he had first met her and the Shepherds in Ylisse. No wars, no crazy campaign against an ancient dragon. Just honest people and honest memories.

His thoughts were interrupted by an echoing voice from above him.

_"...ut up! I can't work fast if you're yelling at me."_

_"We can't let him die! After all he has done for us?"_

Sighing, Robin pulled away from the hug, but stopped himself with a hand on her shoulder and another around her waist. He looked her over several times, cherishing the last few moments he would have with her, not wanting to let go. He had almost forgotten how indescribably beautiful she was. Shaking his head and returning to his senses, he finally spoke.

"I, uh... take it that's my cue, huh?"

"I'm afraid so," Emmeryn responded, a slight blush covering her cheeks. "Now that Grima has fallen, so will you. Naga's power has only granted us this one window to your mind, thus I can't guarantee that we will see you again once you fall. However, she has given you enough strength to share one final moment with your friends. I think it's time for you to use it."

Robin nodded, releasing her with a sniffle.

"Emmeryn?"

"Yes, Robin?"

He fiddled his thumb and forefinger at his side, color filling his cheeks as he thought of the proper words to say to her.

"I.. never had a chance to tell you how much you truly meant to me before you left. I just.. I can't think of another way to say it. Emmeryn, I lo-"

Before he could finish, a tugging sensation filled his chest as he felt himself being pulled upwards. The last thing he saw of that place was Sully, Emmeryn and Lon'qu, smiling up at him as he passed the threshold into the physical world.


	2. A Lesson In Letting Go

Black.

Silence.

Nothingness.

No matter how much Robin strained himself, that's all he could feel around him. He felt as if he was being tugged into a million different directions at once as the vision of his fallen friends evaporated into nothing.

He floated aimlessly like this for several moments, the tugging sensation in his chest lingering as he stayed suspended in the sea of black in front of him. He tried to speak, but no noise escaped his mouth.

_Oh, Gods,_ he thought. _Am I really dead now?_

That was when he started to panic.

No matter how much he struggled, and no matter how hard he thrashed and shook, the invisible hands holding him in place refused to give way.

Realizing the futility of his efforts, he relaxed his limbs and neck and gave in. It was over.

_I'm sorry, Chrom. _

In a sudden jolt, his chest was released from the ethereal tug as an immense flash of light filled his eyes, blinding him. He found himself gasping for breath, air finally filling his shrunken lungs as he clawed at the ground beneath him, half out of comfort and half to distract from the fire that was now building in his stomach as the familiar burn of a puncture wound returned to him.

Wait- No, not ground.

Scales.

"Robin! Gods, stay with us!", he heard Chrom plead from his right.

"You've beat him once before. You are strong, Robin- Fight him this last time!_", _he heard Lucina call from his left.

After a few moments of desperate gasps for air, he found his eyes adjusting to the blue sky above him.

Robin reached his hand out towards the blue-haired figure to his right. "Chrom."

It took Chrom a few moments to realize the almost unrecognizable sound had come from Robin.

Taking his hand in his own and squeezing it tightly, he eyed his white haired friend with a confused look on his face. "What? Robin, I couldn't understand."

Taking another deep breath of air, he coughed up a mixture of saliva and blood, spitting it onto the ground next to his head.

"Chrom. I saw her. And... I saw the others."

Chrom's eyes widened. "Robin. Who did you see?"

Robin's pained expression softened as he closed his eyes and recalled the odd realm he had just came from.

"Sully. Sully, and... and Lon'qu," he said in a soft, breathy voice. "Emmeryn was there. Wait... waiting for me."

Moisture started building in the corners of Chrom's eyes as he took in the information. He couldn't help but smile.

"How was she?"

"Beautiful, Chrom. Just as she was before. She-" Robin's eyes widened when he realized what he had said. Scanning his face, and realizing he wasn't rearing a fist back to punch him, he let his expression soften as he felt safe to continue. He chuckled slightly at the absurdity of it all. "Gods, why do I even care, I'm on the brink of death, anyways. She looked beautiful, Chrom. Above all, she looked happy. Nothing about her has changed... over the years."

Chrom simply let the tears fall as he listened to Robin speak.

"She's proud of you, Chrom. Proud of the man you've grown to be. Proud of everything you have done for Ylisse. She can't wait to see you, when your time comes. But... but I'm afraid my time is coming much sooner than yours."

Robin could feel his energy fading the longer he stayed conscious. Certain details became blurred in his vision, which as a whole had been slowly fading into darker and darker shades, as if time had been passing by an hour every few seconds.

He grimaced, the fire in his stomach spreading to his chest and legs. His breathing became short and labored as he fought for control over his. body.

"Robin..."

Robin looked back up at Chrom, who had a sad understanding in his eyes as he nodded.

"Thank you, Robin. For everything. This wouldn't have been possible without your guidance. You'll always be with us."

Robin smiled. "My last thoughts being of you all... the fact that all of you are safe from harm... that's more than enough."

Robin squeezed his friend's hand, the irony of his first and final memories being of their hands meeting not escaping his head. "May we meet again, Chrom. In a better life."

Robin let out one final, shaky breath as his hand went limp in Chrom's.


End file.
